Fluid-pressure turbine.



PATENTBD APR. 25, 1905.

R. N. EHRHART.

M d. //,w m m QW Z f m m ...A y m m fm m m U w.. n A W., .SNN 111 l 1 pw -Y q l. iwvvl jim! Patented April 25, 1905.

itNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

RAYMOND N. El-lRHAR'l, OF Pl'lmSBURG, PENNSYLYANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTINUPIOUSE MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

FLUID-PRESSURE TURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,057, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed August 8, 1903. Serial No. 168,732.

To frire/11, it n2/ty concern.-

le it known that l, RAYMOND N. Eliminer. a citizen ot' the United States, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county ot' Allegheny and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented a newand useful Improvementin Fluid-Pressu re Turbines, ot'which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fluidpressure turbines, and has tor its object to provide an engine ot' this character which shall be more compact in structure and which shall utilize the power applied more effectively than is usually the case in such mechanism.

It is a usual practice to provide a plurality ot' rotatable members mounted upon a single shaft. each having an annular series oi' blades or buckets, and to locate between adjacent members expansion-passages which are ot' progressively-increasing dimensions, so that as the pressure ot' the iluid decreases it may be progressively expanded, and thus impart the entire velocity which results trom full expansion. lt is also customary in some types otl Huid-pressure turbines to provide a plurality ot' rotatable members, each mounted upon the same shat'tand having an annular series ot' blades or buckets. and to locate between ad- ,jacent members passages the function ot' which is to guide the tluid discharged from one rotating member, composed otl an annular series ot' blades or buckets, into the next rotatable member. Immediately preceding the lirst rotatable member an individual expansion-passage or nozzle is provided in which the elastic fluid is expanded to about the minimum pressure that is ultimately reached in the turbine and to the ultimate maximum velocity. which imparts energy to the succeeding rotatable members and is reduced by each succeeding r r tatable member. l utilize this latter principle in my invention; but instead ol providing a plurality of rotatable members l utilize the successive reductions of velocity ot' the propelling tluid in connection with a single rotatable member,so to subject different parts ot' the same to the velocity resulting Vfrom the expansion ot' the propelling iiuid in a preceding expansion-passage or nozzle or in a set ot' such passages or nozzles. as the case may be.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a circumferential section developed into a plane otl a portion ot' a turbine embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ot' the turbine, a portion ot' which is shown in Fig. l

The rotary member 1 is in the t'orm ot' a wheel or disk having an annular series of blades or buckets` disposed around its periphery and in close proximity to stationary rings 3 and 1, which are respectively bolted to the parts 5 and o of a frame or casing 7. The said casing parts are bolted together and are severally provided with bearings 8 and 9 for the shattlO of the wheel 1. rl`he part 5 is provided with an inlet-port 1l and an annular supply-chamber 1Q, and the part Gis provided with an annular exhaust-chamber 13 and an exhaust-port il.

The ring 3 is provided with one or more inclined nozzles l5 ot' suitable form, thereceiving ends of which connect with the supply-chamber and the discharge endsot' which terminate in proximity to the blades 2 ot' the wheel 1. I have shown an annular series of nozzles; but ot' course any desired number, from one upward, may be utilized.

'lhe expansion-passage or nozzle, or each oi' them, it there be more than one, is made ofsuitable form to expand thecompressml tiuid and to provide about the maximum velocity attainable by the expansion trom its pressure when entering the nozzle or expansion-passage to its pressure at the exit from the turbine. lhe elastic fluid thus leaves the nozzle or expansion-passage and impinges on the blades or buckets 2 with about the maximum velocity and the minimum pressure attainable. Atteisuch impact the tluid exhausts with diminished velocity into a relatively large conducting-passage 16, here indicated as having an outer wall 1T ot' suitable curvature to satisfactorily guide the fluid and as also provided at its inlet with a plurality ot' curved partitions 18 and at its outlet with straight sage 23 into the chamber 13. -The number of these conducting-passages, which are located alternately and progressively at the opposite sides of the member 1, may be such as to utilize effectively the entire velocity which may result from complete expansion of the fluid. This complete expansion may be partially carried out in the series of conductingpassages and partially in the rotatable member without interfering with the scope of this invention, the passages here shown being intended merely to illustrate a suitable and operative arrangement Without imposing any limitation as to number or form or' said parts.

I claim as my invention-- In a turbine the combination of a Working member having buckets, means for directing a uid against said buckets at one point in the circumference of said Working member, a guide-passage having a bend leading from the point of exhaust of said iirst point of application to a second point of application on said Working member, and a supplemental guide or delector arranged in the bend of said second passage for receiving the impact of the fluid at said bend and being coterminous with said bend and shorter than said passage.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub-A scribed my name this 1st day of August, 1903.

RAYMOND N. EHRHART.

Witnesses:

VINCENT M. FRosT, BIRNEY HINEs. 

